EAGLES-SAINTS REVIEW

Here are my thoughts on the disappointing , season-ending Eagles loss to New Orleans..

- I picked the Eagles to win, but earlier in the week wrote "My heart says the Eagles but my head says a New Orleans vs. New England Super bowl." Both the Saints and Patriots need to win one more game to get there, but I wouldn't be surprised if it happened.

- I was ready to criticize the Eagles for not taking the ball first if the won the coin toss ( which they did). Scoring first would get a rusty Saints team on their heels. Well, Philly did score first- twice, in fact, to take a 14-0 1st quarter lead. A big play was the very first play from scrimmage, as Drew Brees was intercepted by Eales' corner back LeBlanc.

It's nice to know you are getting the ball first in the second half, especially if you score to end the first half, but sometimes , as in yesterday's playoff game, scoring first and geting the lead can be pivotal.

- As predicted, the Saints did come out rusty,after not playing for two week. QB Brees hadn't played in three weeks. New Orleans was not in sync at all, and the Eagles, with their fast start, took the crowd out of the game early- until the Eagles themselves allow the fans back into the game.

The bye week and it's rest did come into play later, as the refreshed Saints squad shifted into another gear in the second half, while the tired Eagles defense, thanks in large part to a long, 11-minute New Orleans scoring drive, looked worn down. It didn't help that  the birds were on the road for three games in a row.

- Turnovers again proved to be key to the outcome. Nick Foles' interception in the first quarter killed the momentum after a 14-0 start. If Foles leads Zach Ertz a foot more he might score or at least puts the birds in position to score even more early. Instead Saints corner back Lattimore made a nice pick and that started the new Orleans' turn-around.

Also, Brandon Graham forced a Brees fumble, but, instead of falling on the ball, Graham tried to pick it up, fumbled himself, and a Saint recovered. Te Eagles eventually got the ball back, but a Graham recovery would've given Philadelphia the ball deep in New Orleans territory.

Of course, the final turnover- Foles' interception after Alshon Jeffery allowed a pass slip through his hands, officially killed the drive and the season.

- The fake punt by the Saints was probably the biggest play in the game. 4th down and 1 yard-to-go at their own 30-yard line, already down 14-0, Saints' coach Sean Payton called for a fake punt, and it worked. There was a penalty on the previous play, and the Eagles could've pushed the Saints back another 10 yards, making it 3rd-and 11 yards to go. Instead they made it 4th down, forcing the Saints to punt. Only they didn't punt.

I don't blame coach Pederson for not taking the penalty. The Eagles had their defense in to stop a potential fake punt, only they didn't stop it. The Saints picked p the first down and proceeded to score, changing the momentum in the process.

- Who the hell is Josh Hawkins? He played corner back when Rasul Douglas got hurt. Hawkins was a practice squad guy, and Brees picked on him several times, including the first new Orleans touchdown.

What killed the Eagles was third downs. On defense they couldn't get off the field numerous times with third-and-long. Playing too soft zone defense hurt the Birds earlier in the season, especially during the losses to Carolina and Tennessee. Defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz ( I'm not a fan) doesn't blitz enough. I worried about Schwartz allowing Brees to sit in the pocket and pick his secondary apart, which is exactly what he did.

I know that Brees gets rid of the ball quickly, and he is smart enough to check-down when he sees a blitz coming. But a defense at least needs to mix it up a bit. Even if the pass rush doesn't get to Brees, the threat is there, causing him to react faster than he wants, making him move his feet out of the pocket, or disrupt his timing in other ways. You just don't let a Hall of Famer like Brees sit in the pocket all day.

Instead of controlling the ball and keeping the ball out of brees' hands, Brees held the ball for most of the second half, including a killer 11-minute, 18-play scoring drive which sapped the strength from the Eagles' defense. The Eagles simply didn't have anything more to give at the end, similar to the second Cowboy game in Dallas.

- How can Doug Pederson only run the ball a mere three times in the second half, especially when the Eagles still had the lead? Again, not controlling the ball and making the offense become one-dimensional  proved to be costly.

- Yes, Jeffery is paid millions of dollars to catch that ill-fated pass with two minutes left in the game. No excuse why he couldn't haul it in. But it's not the reason why the Eagles lost. Even if  Jeffery makes the grab, who says the Eagles would score? Now, if Jeffery was in the end zone, that would be a different story.

To his credit, Jeffery, playing with a cracked rib, after playing with a torn rotator cuff in his shoulder last year, was a stand-up guy after the game and accepted responsibility for the drop after the game.

- Eagle facts: up until yesterday the Eagles had never lost in the playoffs after being up by at least 14 points. Also, after 35 catches in the post-season, Jeffery dropped his very first pass in the playoffs, a drop which may have stopped yet another Super bowl run.

-A nice gesture by Pederson was greeting each player outside the locker room door as they made their way from the field and tunnel to the locker room. Pederson wanted to thank each player and offer support right after the devastating end.

- Was the season a success? I say no. The season was a huge let-down after a world championship. To their credit the Eagles made the playoffs ( with some help0, but they didn't even win the NFC East. Not having home field advantage, like last year, continues to be a difference-maker.

After starting 4-6, again, after a Super Bowl season, unless they at least got back to the super bowl, anything less should be considered a failure.  Isn't that the ultimate goal, winning the Super Bowl?

So what does it all mean? The Eagles go into a very interesting off-season. What will happen to Foles? Sounded like he was saying farewell to Philadelphia during his post-game news conference. Money may not matter so much but Foles did state he wants to play, start, and likes being "in the huddle" with other guys.

Next season, the Eagles have a second-place schedule and the front office has a boatload of draft picks to play with next spring. Maybe the Eagles come back in the fall a little hungrier. It will be a different team in the fall, as free agents come and go, trades are made and drat picks come in.

The post-season goes fast. It's All-Eagles talk anyway, with free agency looming. In April comes the NFL draft and the schedule is announced. OTA's occur before summer training camp begins. Before you know it, another hot and sweaty summer is upon us, with thoughts of a cooler Autumn and football on the horizon.

The Saints will host the Rams next Sunday for the right to play in Super Bowl LIII. The Eagles are left to wonder if they would've beaten the Rams for a third straight year in Los Angeles.

Hopefully, the players and coaches learn the hard way how important every game is, even in September, to the end result of home field advantage,

It was a fun ride. The Eagles brought the community together. Christmas and New Year's were even more special due to the Birds. We will always have the championship gear and books to reflect on. We can always pop in the Super Bowl LII DVD anytime to smile. Plus we have the memories of the championship, the parade and the hope that next season we might relive it all again.

The Eagles have a young, solid base. They need speed this off-season- running back, a burner receiver more depth all across the roster. The man of the hour now is GM Howie Rossman. Let's see if he can work his magic once again.